Paintball Safety Rules
Mike Mitchell asked:
The rules of a paintball match may vary depending on the rules of the house where the paintball field is located. There are nuances to rules governing the number of players, how a flag is captured, time limits, and other game details.
However, there are universal safety rules that should be followed no mater what kind of paintball game you are playing, and on no matter what kind of field you are playing on.
Plug it up.
Paintball guns come with a barrel blocking device, or plug. Use it. The plug should be inserted into the barrel whenever you are not on the playing field.
Wearing a mask is macho.
Your mask must be worn at al times during the game. There are no exceptions to this rule. Don’t take it off for any reason until all the barrel plugs have been placed back on all the guns. The most severe paintball injuries occur when a mask is removed at the wrong time.
Your gun should be loaded, not you.
This is a simple one to remember – Do not drink and play. Do not play paintball if you are under the influence of any substance; illegal or prescription. You need to be fully coherent to dodge those paintballs whizzing by your head.
Do not blind fire.
Only shoot it if you can see it. Do not stick your gun out and fire without looking. You could accidentally shoot players and other things you shouldn’t.
Offer surrender.
As you can imagine, close-range shots are a lot more painful than shots from a distance. You should offer surrender to any opposing player within twenty feet if you have a shot on them.
Keep paintball velocity in check.
Keep the velocity under 300 feet per second (FPS). A good rule of thumb is around the 280 range. At 280 FPS a paintball can cause a small bruise; a paintball traveling faster than that can cause more damage including severe welts and broken skin.
Common safety takes some common sense.
Finally, most problems can be avoided with the best piece of equipment that doesn’t cost a dime – common sense. It should go without saying, but some people need to be reminded to not shoot private property, don’t shoot from a moving car, don’t look down the barrel of a gun, don’t hand someone else a loaded gun, etc.
Paintball is meant to be fun and exciting. Following some basic safety rules can help you ensure your day ends in good times, and not a trip to the emergency room.
It is interesting to note that paintball is considered to be one of the safest extreme sports in the world. While there are safety hazards and rules that prevent injuries, paintball is actually a very safe sport when compared to others like “running with the bulls.”
Paintball sometimes gets a bad reputation because guns are being used when playing. Don’t let the equipment influence your choice to play the game! Get out there and play!
Caffeinated Content
The rules of a paintball match may vary depending on the rules of the house where the paintball field is located. There are nuances to rules governing the number of players, how a flag is captured, time limits, and other game details.
However, there are universal safety rules that should be followed no mater what kind of paintball game you are playing, and on no matter what kind of field you are playing on.
Plug it up.
Paintball guns come with a barrel blocking device, or plug. Use it. The plug should be inserted into the barrel whenever you are not on the playing field.
Wearing a mask is macho.
Your mask must be worn at al times during the game. There are no exceptions to this rule. Don’t take it off for any reason until all the barrel plugs have been placed back on all the guns. The most severe paintball injuries occur when a mask is removed at the wrong time.
Your gun should be loaded, not you.
This is a simple one to remember – Do not drink and play. Do not play paintball if you are under the influence of any substance; illegal or prescription. You need to be fully coherent to dodge those paintballs whizzing by your head.
Do not blind fire.
Only shoot it if you can see it. Do not stick your gun out and fire without looking. You could accidentally shoot players and other things you shouldn’t.
Offer surrender.
As you can imagine, close-range shots are a lot more painful than shots from a distance. You should offer surrender to any opposing player within twenty feet if you have a shot on them.
Keep paintball velocity in check.
Keep the velocity under 300 feet per second (FPS). A good rule of thumb is around the 280 range. At 280 FPS a paintball can cause a small bruise; a paintball traveling faster than that can cause more damage including severe welts and broken skin.
Common safety takes some common sense.
Finally, most problems can be avoided with the best piece of equipment that doesn’t cost a dime – common sense. It should go without saying, but some people need to be reminded to not shoot private property, don’t shoot from a moving car, don’t look down the barrel of a gun, don’t hand someone else a loaded gun, etc.
Paintball is meant to be fun and exciting. Following some basic safety rules can help you ensure your day ends in good times, and not a trip to the emergency room.
It is interesting to note that paintball is considered to be one of the safest extreme sports in the world. While there are safety hazards and rules that prevent injuries, paintball is actually a very safe sport when compared to others like “running with the bulls.”
Paintball sometimes gets a bad reputation because guns are being used when playing. Don’t let the equipment influence your choice to play the game! Get out there and play!
Caffeinated Content
Airsoft Vs. Paintball
Justin Kander asked:
Airsoft and paintball are pretty similar sports, and they can be played exactly the same way. There are a few key differences, such as that airsoft is used more in military and law enforcement reenactments than paintball. In this sense, gameplay can differ, but people use paintball guns for reenactments as well (just not as often). If you look at the big picture, the games aren’t that different, but sometimes strategy and tactics must be changed depending on the specs of your and your opponent’s gun.
The guns used in airsoft and paintball differ greatly. Paintball guns have a hopper that you pour paintballs into, while airsoft guns use clips. Therefore, loading and unloading is usually easier in airsoft, as is carrying around extra clips. In paintball, you need to have a vest or belt to put large cylinders of paintballs into. That doesn’t mean that airsoft has paintball trumped in this category. Paintball guns can usually carry more ammo than an airsoft gun, and you can still reload relatively quickly.
Ammunition; paintballs in paintball, 6mm BBs in airsoft. This is an important thing to consider. In a forest, there are many tiny branches that can break paintballs, thus stopping them from reaching their target. You have to find a very open area without any obstructions. Airsoft pellets are very small and the likelihood of them hitting tiny obstacles is miniscule. Also, in many cases they can be more accurate than paintballs, so it may not take as much time for a game to end as it might with paintball. The speed, in FPS, of airsoft is also usually higher (between 300fps and 400fps). It can be as low as 120fps, but that isn’t very efficient in an airsoft game. Paintballs can also be dodged; it doesn’t happen often, but if you see one coming toward you in advance it is easy to move out of the way. Airsoft pellets are too small to see at a high-speed, and dodging is basically out of the question. Therefore, overall, in the case of ammunition, airsoft has the advantage.
The next item on the list is maneuverability. Airsoft guns are definitely easy to hold and run with, while with paintball there are big and bulky external CO2 and N2 (or compressed air) containers. Also, the hopper can sometimes get in the way. One gets used to how paintball guns are made, but shooting an airsoft gun is, well, somewhat of a relief. Some people have made advanced apparatuses where CO2 is on their backs, and a tube from the paintball gun coils around into the tank on their back. I personally saw a man with two paintball guns, each with two tubes extending from the guns to the back-CO2 tanks. It was pretty cool. Anyways, it is clear that airsoft beats paintball in maneuverability.
Another important thing is maintenance. Paintball guns you do need to oil, clean, and of course refill CO2 (depending on how much you play, frequently). If you have a gas airsoft gun, that will also needed to be refilled, but electric and spring airsoft guns require no gas at all. Both kinds of guns can break if not properly maintained. Paintball guns need the barrel regularly cleaned, although that is relatively simple. Most of the time, paintball guns have more parts than airsoft guns, and they may be more costly to repair, but crucial problems rarely occur in either gun type.
The thing about airsoft is people can cheat very easily. In paintball, the ball explodes and the paint is very visible on the person. Sure, one could wipe off the paint, but people rarely risk it because if they are caught, well, they are in trouble. However, somebody can get hit in airsoft and just shake it off. If there are two very competitive people playing, and they keep getting hit, one or the other can’t really prove it, unless they are close enough up to see the pellet hit the person. Airsoft relies on the honesty system, and sometimes that isn’t enough. 6mm paintballs are always an option, but they can break in the barrel, and that causes problems.
The superior product really is a matter of opinion, as there is no clear-cut winner. Each type of gun has its own advantages and disadvantages. Usually, if you start with paintball, you’ll stick with paintball, and likewise with airsoft.
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Airsoft and paintball are pretty similar sports, and they can be played exactly the same way. There are a few key differences, such as that airsoft is used more in military and law enforcement reenactments than paintball. In this sense, gameplay can differ, but people use paintball guns for reenactments as well (just not as often). If you look at the big picture, the games aren’t that different, but sometimes strategy and tactics must be changed depending on the specs of your and your opponent’s gun.
The guns used in airsoft and paintball differ greatly. Paintball guns have a hopper that you pour paintballs into, while airsoft guns use clips. Therefore, loading and unloading is usually easier in airsoft, as is carrying around extra clips. In paintball, you need to have a vest or belt to put large cylinders of paintballs into. That doesn’t mean that airsoft has paintball trumped in this category. Paintball guns can usually carry more ammo than an airsoft gun, and you can still reload relatively quickly.
Ammunition; paintballs in paintball, 6mm BBs in airsoft. This is an important thing to consider. In a forest, there are many tiny branches that can break paintballs, thus stopping them from reaching their target. You have to find a very open area without any obstructions. Airsoft pellets are very small and the likelihood of them hitting tiny obstacles is miniscule. Also, in many cases they can be more accurate than paintballs, so it may not take as much time for a game to end as it might with paintball. The speed, in FPS, of airsoft is also usually higher (between 300fps and 400fps). It can be as low as 120fps, but that isn’t very efficient in an airsoft game. Paintballs can also be dodged; it doesn’t happen often, but if you see one coming toward you in advance it is easy to move out of the way. Airsoft pellets are too small to see at a high-speed, and dodging is basically out of the question. Therefore, overall, in the case of ammunition, airsoft has the advantage.
The next item on the list is maneuverability. Airsoft guns are definitely easy to hold and run with, while with paintball there are big and bulky external CO2 and N2 (or compressed air) containers. Also, the hopper can sometimes get in the way. One gets used to how paintball guns are made, but shooting an airsoft gun is, well, somewhat of a relief. Some people have made advanced apparatuses where CO2 is on their backs, and a tube from the paintball gun coils around into the tank on their back. I personally saw a man with two paintball guns, each with two tubes extending from the guns to the back-CO2 tanks. It was pretty cool. Anyways, it is clear that airsoft beats paintball in maneuverability.
Another important thing is maintenance. Paintball guns you do need to oil, clean, and of course refill CO2 (depending on how much you play, frequently). If you have a gas airsoft gun, that will also needed to be refilled, but electric and spring airsoft guns require no gas at all. Both kinds of guns can break if not properly maintained. Paintball guns need the barrel regularly cleaned, although that is relatively simple. Most of the time, paintball guns have more parts than airsoft guns, and they may be more costly to repair, but crucial problems rarely occur in either gun type.
The thing about airsoft is people can cheat very easily. In paintball, the ball explodes and the paint is very visible on the person. Sure, one could wipe off the paint, but people rarely risk it because if they are caught, well, they are in trouble. However, somebody can get hit in airsoft and just shake it off. If there are two very competitive people playing, and they keep getting hit, one or the other can’t really prove it, unless they are close enough up to see the pellet hit the person. Airsoft relies on the honesty system, and sometimes that isn’t enough. 6mm paintballs are always an option, but they can break in the barrel, and that causes problems.
The superior product really is a matter of opinion, as there is no clear-cut winner. Each type of gun has its own advantages and disadvantages. Usually, if you start with paintball, you’ll stick with paintball, and likewise with airsoft.
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